''I'm Here for You'' is the debut album by the American singer

Ann Nesby Ann Nesby (born Lula Ann Bennett; July 24, 1955) is an American R&B, gospel and dance music singer and actress. She is the former lead singer of Sounds of Blackness; a songwriter with credits including hits sung by Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knigh ...

, released in 1996. Nesby supported the album by performing at the opening ceremonies of the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. The album peaked at No. 157 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Production

The album was produced in part by

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

. Nesby cowrote or wrote every song on ''I'm Here for You''.

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...

contributed saxophone to the album.

Critical reception

The ''

Los Angeles Sentinel The ''Los Angeles Sentinel'' is a weekly African-American owned newspaper published in Los Angeles, California. The paper boasts of reaching 125,000 readers , making it one of the oldest, largest and most influential African-American newspapers ...

'' praised the "earthy singing," calling the album "the sound of love, passion and blackness." The ''

Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'' wrote that Nesby's "majestic voice shines on a spiritual collection of R&B." ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'' deemed the album "a smooth mix of traditional gospel, dance tunes, and ballads ... The traditional gospel tune 'Lord How I Need You' showcases Nesby's origins in the church choir." The '' St. Paul Pioneer Press'' wrote that "while the strings, vibes and other background instruments too often sound slightly, frightfully, canned, Nesby's voice rises above it all to deliver a truly spectacular performance throughout." Jesse Ballinger, of ''

Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquired by Village Voic ...

'', opined that "on 'Let the Rain Fall', Nesby makes the strongest argument I've heard yet for hip-hop/gospel fusion."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

deemed it "a brilliant blend of gospel, R&B, dance and ballads." '' MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide'' considered the album to be "one of the most complete and pleasurable packages ever put together by Jam and Lewis."

Track listing

References

{{Authority Control Perspective Records albums 1996 debut albums